We Are Unitarian Universalists from Unitarian Universalist Assoc. on Vimeo.

You may read the UUA values that UCE has embraced, along with UCE’s mission and vision here.

Our faith community embraces a vast array of personal inspirations. Acknowledgment of these sources of inspiration are expressed by our Unitarian Universalist Assocation as “Direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder are primary sources of Unitarian Universalist inspiration. These experiences open our hearts, renew our spirits, and transform our lives. We draw upon, and are inspired by, sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. We respect the histories, contexts, and cultures in which these sources were created and are currently practiced. Grateful for the experiences that move us, aware of the religious ancestries we inherit, and enlivened by the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.”

We invite you to join us and share the inspirations along your life journey.

In June 2024, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) completed a more than 3-year process to re-articulate how we express our values and inspirations. You may read more about the UUA process of developing and adopting these transformative changes here. Our historic 8 Principles and 6 Sources, which have grown and been revised several times since 1961, remain an integral part of our faith community’s journey:

Principles

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

1. 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7. 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
8. 8th Principle: adopted by UCE on May 16, 2021, reads: “We, a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Sources

The Living Tradition* we share draws from many sources:

Source of Wonder and Mystery:

1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

Source of Inspiring People:

2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

Source of World Religions:

3. Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

Source of Judeo-Christian Traditions:

4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

Source of Reason and Science

5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.

Source of Our Sacred Earth

6. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

*Unitarian Universalism is often referred to by its members as a living tradition, and the principles and purposes have been modified over time to reflect changes in spiritual beliefs among the membership.